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Turquoise Cotinga by Gina Nichol.COSTA RICA
Southern Pacific &
Highland Specialties
January 5 - 15, 2027

Contact [email protected] to reserve your space!  

Trip Cost>       Registration Form(pdf)>
Tour Registration, Terms, Cancellation Policies>

Costa Rica’s southern Pacific slope and Talamanca highlands form one of the most biologically diverse regions on Earth — a place where lush cloud forests cloak the mountains, mangroves pulse with tidal life, and lowland rainforests hold some of the country’s most beautiful birds.

Golden-browed Chlorophonia by Jose Pablo CastilloThis special itinerary, designed and led by Jose Pablo Castillo, will immerse you in these contrasting ecosystems, moving from coastal wetlands and transitional forests to the deep green heart of the Osa Peninsula, and finally into the cool, epiphyte-laden highlands of the Talamanca Range. Along the way, you’ll stay in lovely, conservation-minded, family run lodges that protect critical habitat and offer exceptional birding right outside your door.

Revel in a journey rich in colorful birds and discovery — a true exploration of southern Costa Rica’s most species dense landscapes.

 

Join us for a Sunrise Birding LLC Exclusive Birding Tour with Jose Pablo Castillo!

Trip Cost>       Registration Form>        Go here for past trip reports>

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl by Steve Bird.ITINERARY
Below is the intended itinerary. It is subject to change due to birds, weather, or other factors.

Day 1 – Arrival in San Jose
Plan to arrive today in San Jose, Costa Rica (Airport code: SJO) and make your way to Hotel Robledal, a family-owned property filled with flowering plants and fruiting trees that attract an astonishing variety of birds. Species often seen on the grounds include Hoffmann’s Woodpecker, Rufous-naped Wren, Clay-colored Thrush, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Blue-gray Tanager, and Crimson-fronted Parakeets flying overhead. This lovely lodge is close to the airport will introduce you to Costa Rica’s avifauna. Plan to meet for dinner and an orientation tonight as we begin our adventure. Night at Hotel Robledal.

 

 

Day 2 – Tárcoles River & Central Pacific Transition Zone
Today we depart early towards the Central Pacific coast to explore the avian life of its tropical dry forests and rainforests. In addition to birding the beautiful jungle habitats, we’ll embark on a private boat tour on the Tárcoles River looking for a wide variety of birds like Hudsonian Whimbrel, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Collared Plover by Steve Bird.Roseate Spoonbill, Boat-billed Heron, Collared Plover, Mangrove Warbler, Mangrove Vireo, Panama Flycatcher, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Scarlet Macaw, Common Black Hawk, Yellow-naped Amazon, White-fronted Amazon, the endemic Mangrove Hummingbird, and up to 5 species of Kingfisher! Magnificent Frigatebirds soar overhead as we reach the mouth of the river where it spills into the Pacific.


Later in the day we continue to Pacific Paradise Resort, known for its landscaped gardens and forest edge habitat that can be very birdy! Fiery-billed Aracari, Red-crowned Woodpecker, White-crowned Parrot, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Variable Seedeater, and a variety of hummingbirds abound making use of the many flowering shrubs. Night at Pacific Paradise Resort.

 

Bare-throated Tiger Heron by Jose Pablo Castillo. Mangrove Hummingbird by Gina Nichol.

 

Day 3 – Esquipulas Rainforest
Orange-collared Manakin by Jose Pablo Castillo.Today we have a full day to explore Esquipulas Reserve, a biodiversity sanctuary with more than 84 hectares of untouched land. This natural paradise is home to a vibrant mix of wildlife and our day will offer the chance to connect with many avian marvels like Yellow-throated Toucan, Orange-collared Manakin, Red-capped Manakin, Masked Tityra, Scarlet-rumped Tanager, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Costa Rican Swift, White-necked Jacobin, Long-billed Hermit, King Vulture, Fiery-billed Aracari. Black-cowled Oriole, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Shining Honeycreeper, Band-tailed Barbthroat, White-ruffed Manakin and many more species that have been recorded in the area. Nearby wetlands often host Southern Lapwing and Black-bellied Whistling Duck. And, we will search for White-tipped Sicklebill, White-crested Coquette and Turquoise Cotinga!


Later in the day we return to Pacific Paradise Resort for the night. As darkness falls, we can check the parking lot for Common Pauraque and perhaps find a Spectacled Owl calling from nearby forest patches. Night at Pacific Paradise Resort.

 

Red-crowned Woodpecker by Steve Bird.Day 4 – Osa Peninsula
After breakfast we'll pack the bus and drive southeast toward the famed Osa Peninsula, making some birding stops and one archaeological stop enroute, while enjoying the fantastic views of the Pacific coast and the Golfo Dulce along the way. Our lodge is nestled in the heart of the Golfo Dulce and very close from the Corcovado National Park giving us the chance to explore a variety of prime birding habitats.


Here we stay at Danta Corcovado Lodge, a beautifully designed ecolodge built of fallen timber and surrounded by primary and secondary rainforest. The lodge’s extensive trail system begins right behind the cabins, and birding from the dining area can be superb. Regular visitors include Red-crowned Woodpecker, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager (occasionally), Red-capped Manakin, White-necked Jacobin, and Slaty-tailed Trogon. Among the many species reported around the lodge are Black-and-white Owl, Bronzy Hermit, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Baird's Trogon, Little Tinamou, Charming Hummingbird, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Gray-chested Dove, Black-faced Antthrush, Double-toothed Kite, Black-striped Woodcreeper, and others. Troops of Howler Monkeys and White-faced Capuchins often move through the canopy above the rooms. Night at Danta Lodge.

 

Scarlet Macaw by Gina Nichol.

Day 5 – Danta Lodge, Rincón River & Golfo Dulce Lowlands
We will have a full day exploring the beautiful trails of the lodge and surrounding areas including the Rincón River and the Golfo Dulce area. Some of the avian highlights we will search for here include Yellow-billed Cotinga, Turquoise Cotinga, Baird's Trogon, Black-hooded Antshrike, Blue Dacnis, Riverside Wren, Spot-crowned Euphonia, Red-breasted Meadowlark, Chestnut-backed Antbird, White-throated Shrike-Tanager, White-necked Puffbird, Charming Hummingbird, Black-faced Antthrush, Marbled Wood-quail, Scarlet Macaw, Red-lored Amazon and many more. Night at Danta Corcovado Lodge.

 

Day 6 – Ciudad Neily & Esquinas Rainforest Lodge
After morning birding in the Osa Peninsula, we'll drive to Ciudad Neily (a few miles from the border with Panama!) where we will look for southern specialties like Veraguan Mango, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Savanna Hawk, and Red-rumped Woodpecker.


In the afternoon we'll check-in to the lovely Esquinas Rainforest Lodge nestled at the edge of the Piedras Blancas National Park. Esquinas Rainforest Lodge is one of the best birding lodges in southern Costa Rica. Its gardens attract Long-billed Starthroat, Charming Hummingbird, Red-crowned Woodpecker, and Golden-hooded Tanager, while the forest edge is excellent for Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager, an Osa endemic. A night walk may reveal Red-eyed Tree Frogs, Glass Frogs, and Kinkajous in the fruiting trees around the lodge. Night at Esquinas Rainforest Lodge.

 

Day 7 – Esquinas Rainforest & Ascent to the Highlands
Today we'll enjoy a productive birding session at the lodge looking for the endemic Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager, Great Curassow, Band-tailed Barbthroat, Gray-cowled Wood-rail, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Rufous Piha, Black-striped Woodcreeper, Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner, and many others. At mid-morning we'll make our way toward the magnificent Talamanca Mountain Range making birding stops enroute to our beautiful lodge in the Talamanca Nature Reserve, a family-owned project that protect primary and secondary cloud forest near the Chirripo National Park.

Speckled Tanager by Jose Pablo Castillo.
Talamanca Nature Reserve offers a serene, family-run lodge surrounded by towering oaks, mossy under story, and rushing mountain streams. Feeders attract White-throated Mountain-gem, Green Hermit, and Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, while the forest trails offer chances at Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Ruddy Treerunner, Black-faced Solitaire, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, White-winged Tanager, Speckled Tanager, White-browed Gnatcatcher, Spot-crowned Euphonia, Brown-hooded Parrot, Golden-olive Woodpecker, and more. Night at Talamanca Nature Reserve.

 

 

 

White-crested Coquette by Jose Pablo Castillo.

Day 8 – Cloud Forest Birding in Talamanca Nature Reserve
Well spend our day exploring the reserve and surrounding areas looking for avian wonders in the cloud forest, like White-tailed Emerald, Green Hermit, Magenta-throated Woodstar, Garden Emerald, Violet Sabrewing, White-crested Coquette, Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Lesson's Motmot, Red-headed Barbet, Northern Emerald Toucanet, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Red-faced Spinetail, Speckled Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Silver-throated Tanager, Green Honeycreeper and many more!


The lodge grounds are excellent for highland hummingbirds, and mixed flocks often pass right through the gardens including Sooty-capped Chlorospingus, Flame-throated Warbler, and Yellow-thighed Brushfinch. Night at Talamanca Nature Reserve.

 

 

Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher by Gina Nichol.Day 9 – Talamanca Highlands &
Paraiso del Quetzal
After breakfast we'll drive towards the highlands of the Talamanca Mountain Range birding along the way looking for many specialties like Collared Redstart, Dark Pewee, Sooty-capped Chlorospingus, Large-footed Finch, Volcano Junco, Black-capped Flycatcher, Long-tailed and Black-and-yellow Silky Flycatchers, Black Guan, Yellow-thighed Brushfinch, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Yellow-winged Vireo, Ruddy Treerunner, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Talamanca Hummingbird, White-throated Mountain-gem, Volcano Hummingbird and more. We'll spend the night at the beautiful Paraiso del Quetzal Lodge surrounded by giant Oak trees at 9000 feet!


Paraiso del Quetzal Lodge is one of the premier locations in Costa Rica for high-elevation birding. Feeders here attract Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Talamanca Hummingbird, and Volcano Hummingbird, often at arm’s length. The surrounding oak forest is prime habitat for Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Barred Becard, and the stunning Resplendent Quetzal. Night at Paraiso del Quetzal Lodge.

 

 

Resplendent Quetzal by Gina Nichol. Day 10 – The Realm of the Resplendent Quetzal
Our morning will be focused in looking for the majestic Resplendent Quetzal, one of the most beautiful birds in the world. The lodge’s private trails lead directly into fruiting aguacatillo trees — the favored food of the Quetzal. There will surely be many other birds to distract us.


After our morning search, we continue exploring the highland forest before returning to Hotel Robledal for a final dinner and review of our adventure. Night at Hotel Robledal.

 

 

Day 11 – Departure
Depart at your convenience from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO).

 

LEADER: Jose Pablo Castillo.
Gina Nichol & Steve Bird will assist. Star driver Ramon Vargas will navigate!

Contact [email protected] to reserve your space! 

Fiery-throated Hummingbird by Gina Nichol.COSTA RICA
Southern Pacific & Highland Specialties (11 days)
January 5 - 15, 2027 REGISTRATION FORM (pdf)>
Contact [email protected] to reserve your space!     


TOUR PRICE:  
US$4895.00 per person based on double occupancy from San Jose, Costa Rica (Airport code: SJO). Single supplement: US$895.00 per person based on availability. Please inquire.


Deposit: $1000 per person. Note: Tour deposits can be paid by credit card via PayPal. Use this link to make your credit card payment.  Please advise [email protected] when you have made payment.
 
Group size: Minimum for the tour to go ahead 6. Maximum 10.


Included in cost: Accommodation in twin rooms en-suite, all meals from Dinner on Day 1 (main tour & extension) to breakfast Day 11, water, group airport transfer, ground transport throughout, all entrance fees to parks as stated in the itinerary, and services of English speaking leaders and driver.

Not included: International airfare, passport/visa fees, departure taxes, insurance, drinks, tips, and items of a personal nature such as: laundry, telephone, beverages, or gratuities for porterage or personal services.  Also, any and all costs arising from pandemic or Covid-19 related issues are not included in the tour cost and are the sole responsibility of the traveler. These include, among others, the costs of Covid treatment, hospitalization, medical fees, transport, meals and accommodation in case of illness or quarantine, and the costs of any Covid tests needed before, during and after the tour.


Accommodation: All lodges are of a good standard and offer en-suite rooms, a good variety of meals and cooked breakfasts.

Tour Code: This is a standard birding tour with regular birding stops along roads and short walks on well marked flat trails. There are early morning options and pre-breakfast excursions, followed by morning and afternoon sessions. The weather is generally good to warm, even hot, with slight possibilities of rain. Be prepared for all eventualities.

 

RESERVATIONS: To reserve your place on this tour:

1) Contact Gina Nichol at [email protected] to confirm availability and hold your place.

2) Review the Terms and Conditions of Booking (pdf download)>

3) Complete the Registration & Release Form (pdf)> and mail it with your deposit of US$1000.00 per person to Sunrise Birding, LLC within two weeks to secure your place. 

>Download & print the Registration Form (pdf download). Instructions are on the form.

Reservations are held with a paid deposit on a first-come, first-served basis.

Once the tour is confirmed to go ahead, we will send you information about booking your flights.
Please do not book flights until you receive this information from us and are notified that the trip has sufficient numbers to run. Final payment is due October 1, 2026.

Please note: Tour prices are based on quoted costs from ground operators (in their local currency), estimated fuel costs, and the rate of exchange the time of itinerary publication. The erratic nature to global financial markets makes it difficult to predict changes in costs and foreign currency exchange rates over the long term. Since tours are priced well in advance of the actual operation of the tour, tour costs, fuel costs and exchange rates can change, sometimes drastically. Depending on the extent of such changes, it may be necessary to implement a surcharge on this tour. If a surcharge is necessary, every effort will be made to minimize the amount.

Cancellations and Refunds:
Please review our Terms and Conditions of Booking (pdf download)> prior to registering for this tour. All cancellations must be made in writing. Please ensure that you take out adequate insurance to cover this and any other eventuality as early as possible. You may have the opportunity to transfer your booking to another tour or another person, provided you are unavoidably prevented from coming on the tour. In this case, you will bear any extra costs that such changes may incur.


There are no refunds once the trip is confirmed to go ahead and no refunds will be made for unused meals, accommodations, or other trip features. Sunrise Birding, LLC cannot accept liability for airline cancellations or delays or penalties incurred by the purchase of non-refundable airline tickets or other expenses incurred by tour participants in preparing for this tour.

 

TRIP INSURANCE:
Sunrise Birding LLC strongly recommends that you consider purchasing a travel protection plan to protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected in case of delay, injury or illness prior to or during a tour. Travel protection plans can include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Loss and Delay, Emergency Medical Transportation, Pre-existing Conditions, and more. Get started here>

 

PLEASE NOTE:

  • Insurance policy requirements vary and the timing of your purchase can affect coverage. Some insurance providers require that for coverage of pre-existing conditions, a policy must be purchased within 7-14 days of booking. Others, like CSA, offer policies that cover pre-existing conditions as long as the policy is purchased prior to making your final payment for the tour.

  • Trip insurance policy premiums may be non-refundable, but they may be able to be amended or transferred. Check with your insurer. It is important to be sure that the tour is sufficiently subscribed to operate before you purchase trip insurance.

  • Pay attention to coverages provided by your policy. Be aware of the requirements of country or destination can change, so check often. Some policies are now offering Covid related coverages so check with your insurer.

  • US medical insurance plans (including Medicare) often do not provide coverage outside the US. The US State Department strongly advises Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and if it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. Consult with your insurer prior to your trip to ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas healthcare provider directly or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur. Be sure to get and keep all documentation of any expenses incurred.

Questions? Contact Gina Nichol at gina@sunrisebirding.com 


Photo credits (top to bottom): Turquoise Cotinga by Gina Nichol / Golden-browed Chlorophonia by Jose Pablo Castillo / Ferruginous Pygmy Owl by Steve Bird / Collared Plover by Steve Bird / Bare-throated Tiger Heron by Jose Pablo Castillo / Mangrove Hummingbird by Gina Nichol / Orange-collared Manakin by Jose Pablo Castillo / Red-crowned Woodpecker by Steve Bird / Scarlet Macaw by Gina Nichol / Red-eyed Tree Frog by by Steve Bird / Speckled Tanager by Jose Pablo Castillo / White-crested Coquette by Jose Pablo Castillo / Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher by Gina Nichol / Resplendent Quetzal by Gina Nichol / Fiery-throated Hummingbird by Gina Nichol.